The sudden passing of Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA) has left the chairmanship of the Committee on House Administration in question. The last committee chairman to die in office was William H. Natcher (D-KY) chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, in 1994.

Mrs. Millender-McDonald had requested a leave of absense in March and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had assigned Rep. Robert Brady (D-PA), the No. 2 Democrat on the committee to serve as interim chairman. Brady chaired a brief meeting of the committee on April 17th. Mr. Brady is a candidate for mayor in Philadelphia, which will hold a primary in May, which may impact his availability for the full chairmanship. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) would be next in line in line for the chairmanship.

Congressional Quarterly reported that "Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has 14 days to set a special election date in the 37th District, based in southern Los Angeles County. Candidates of all parties will run on a single ballot in the primary; if no one captures an outright majority, a runoff will be held between the top vote-getters of each party."